During World War II (1939–45) people on the U.S. home front faced gas rationing, shortages of certain foods, over-crowded public transportation, and bans on pleasure driving. Unaccustomed to such restrictions and inconveniences, Americans found some comfort in various forms of media, including radio, movies, newspapers, books, and popular music. These forms of mass communication provided not only entertainment but important war-related information. Early in the war President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945; served 1933–45) declared that movies and even certain sporting events were essential for maintaining morale on the home front. The U.S. government used these media and others to communicate with the American public. Government messages included statements about the nation's war goals, suggestions for what citizens could do to contribute to the war effort, and reports on the progress of the war. Government communication of this sort is often called propaganda. Propaganda is information...